Aligoté Emerging from the Shadows #Winophiles
A native of Burgundy (Bourgogne), Aligoté has long been a distant second fiddle to Chardonnay.
French #Winophiles Highlight God Forsaken, Forgotten, Under-the-Radar Grapes
This month, our French Winophiles are looking under the rug and in the closet for those forgotten, ignored, or neglected French grapes. Take a look at our findings by scrolling down in this post for a whole list of links to some great finds. If the subject intrigues you, join our chat on twitter. Details below!
Aligoté has both noteworthy parents and siblings.
Aligoté’s Humble Beginnings
Aligoté is a Bourgogne native, but Chardonnay was always much more popular. Chardonnay was a bit easier to grow, and the flavors produced in the wine were more appealing as the region was establishing its identity. Unfortunately, Aligoté was relegated to lowlying, flatter vineyards and was never given much attention. The resulting wine was thin and acidic and never really garnered much attention. With the exception of Bouzeron, the best labeling possible was the regional appellation “Bourgogne Aligoté”.
Aligoté has been best known as a component of Kir. The wine is mixed with Crème de Cassis liqueur and served as an apertif. That’s not bad, but it isn’t much for building a reputation.
Aligoté Emerging from the Shadows
Luckily, there has been a recent resurgence of interest in this lesser known grape. Several Bourgogne vignerons have taken up the cause, either finding old Aligoté vines or planting their own and showing them the love and attention they deserve. The vignerons have even gathered an informal group, “Les Aligoteurs” and have started organizing tastings. Wine Enthusiast reports Aligoté as Burgundy’s Rising Star. We can only hope the trend continues and we can start to see Aligoté showing up on our shelves in the US in greater numbers!
In recent visits, I’ve seen increasing interest from vignerons in the southern reaches of Burgundy and I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy a number of bottles. Let’s jump in and taste an example!
Domaine Chevrot Bourgogne Aligoté “Cuvée des Quatre Terroirs” AOC 2016 (purchased in France, available online here) 13% abv
I’ve previously written about a visit to Domaine Chevrot, my post is located here.
Eye: Clear medium lemon color
Nose: Clean, medium+ intensity. Aromas of ripe pear, ripe peach, cantaloupe, honeysuckle. Mineral notes of chalk and a bit of flint.
Mouth: Dry, medium+ intensity. Flavors match the aromas with rich, ripe fruits, flowers and minerals with a plush texture, medium+ body, medium+ acidity, nice lingering medium+ finish. No evidence of oak aging in either the nose or palate.
Conclusions: Very good quality wine showing good balance between ripe intense fruit and good acidic structure. Drink now, not suitable for further aging. The abundant fruit is the star in this wine and it won’t last forever.
French Winophiles Find Gems Hidden in Plain Sight
There are an even dozen ideas below for you to go digging into the dark corners of French grapes. Why not join our chat on Twitter and chime in with your thoughts? Find us on Saturday Feb. 15 10-11am CST at #winophiles on twitter. Hope to see you there!
- A Special Wine for A Special Night by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Aligoté Emerging from the Shadows by Food Wine Click!
- Asian BBQ Sauce-Glazed Pork Chops + Domaine Trosset’s Mondeuse d’Arbin by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- A Wine Geek Explores Jura’s Native Grapes, Part I by My Full Wine Glass
- Cooking to the Wine: Clos Cibonne Tibouren Cuvée Tradition Rosé & Savory Citrus Chicken with Couscous by Somm’s Table
- Drinking Les Rocailles Apremont Savoie Jacquère and Eating Homemade Fish Paste by Chinese Food & Wine Pairings
- Forlorn in France, Flourishing in the New World? Malbec! by Wine Predator
- Great French Wines You Might Not Know…But Should! by Cooking Chat
- Alpine Fresh, Sulfite Free Jacquère Wine Is Not Pure White by Asian Test Kitchen
- Tannat and Pasta, a Surprising Combination! by Our Good Life
- Time to Give Some Love to Godforsaken Cinsault by The Corkscrew Concierge
- Though the Mountains May Crumble…Apremont and Some Alpine Pairings by Crushed Grape Chronicles
Aligoté Wines to Search Out
My French wine consultant (son Peter) recommends the wines below as examples of Aligoté where great care was given. At least two appear to be available in the US.
Our Feast of Clams and Aligoté
We love clams, mussels, oysters in all their forms. Steaming clams or mussels on the stovetop is a regular activity at our house. I’ve experimented with clams a la plancha based on Francis Mallmann’s recipe in “7 Fires” with some success, but I’ve learned that judging doneness is the key to success on the grill. This time, I think I nailed it! Ingredients InstructionsLittle Neck Clams a la Plancha
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foodwineclick 
As always, Jeff, you have me thirsty and hungry! Thanks for the great post and the inspiration to hunt down some Aligoté for myself. Cheers.
Invoice for consultancy services inbound.
I will happily split the profits from this post with you 50/50….
Looks awesome! A few weeks ago I made spaghetti with fresh littlenecks and razor clams. Really wish I’d thought of pairing the dish with an Aligoté. Next time!
Thanks Lauren!
Searched for Aligoté on the PA state system’s site after reading this post. Appears a few are available by special order. Might have to do that!
It’ll be interesting, since some are still in the “better as part of a kir” category!
Thank you for sharing the “love affair analysis” and the rap! I love your little neck clam recipe and might try it (sans snow)
Thanks Robin. The clams were very good, and you could just do the normal steaming if a 600 deg. F grill isn’t available (although it sure is fun!).
The color of that wine is amazing and you stole my heart with that sheet pan clam dinner.
Thanks Wendy. Fire, a hot grill and clams are a sure winner!
My husband’s eyes bugged out when he saw this post. I think we will be making this next. We loved the potatoes, by the way.
Thanks Terri. Glad to hear, and I hope you do make the clams! Just be sure to cook them all the way through…
Love this description of our task this month, Jeff– “French Winophiles Find Gems Hidden in Plain Sight”! And if your article wasn’t enough, the videos put me over the top! The one by them had me giggling away!
The rap was a fun discovery, I wasn’t aware prior to my son Peter telling me about it.
it’s not exactly something you’d go looking for on youtube unless you knew it was there!
Love the video. Also it’s a great idea to put the baking sheet on the grill to catch the herbs and wine you poured over!
Thanks Pinny. If you’re thinking of giving it a try, it was a cast iron griddle. You’ll want something that holds the heat.
I’m so glad you did Aligoté — I was hoping someone would. My initial impulse was to do an Aligoté post too, but I couldn’t find the ones I wanted. Definitely a Godforsaken Grape. Your clams a la plancha look fantastic as well.
Thanks Nicole! Aligoté is still a bit of a toss of the coin on whether you get a “kir Aligoté” or one that has been grown with care. I’m going to search out the ones suggested by Peter.
Also, I ROTFL with the Aligoté rap
Likewise!
As I said in the chat, you’re inspiring me to give Aligote another try! And the clams look delish.
We’ve been drinking a lot of Aligoté lately ourselves. Happy to see more folks talking about it.
I really like it when you bbq in the snow. If it were me, I would not dare go outside, much less cook my dinner in that weather. Interesting to read that Aligote is a rising star in Burgundy. Hopefully this means it will stay affordable too!